Jeanne Provenzano: Could you talk about where the idea for the creation of this book began? And then, how did it evolve over time?
Nora Shalaway Carpenter: It began as a much smaller project. After the initial media coverage in North Carolina died down, I wanted to create something to let the rest of the world know that Asheville and the surrounding areas were still living in a dystopian-like devastation. Bodies were still being discovered in the mud long after the last national reporters left. I’d recently started doing some audiobook narration with a local studio, so initially I thought I’d ask maybe eight or ten close writer friends for an essay and then record them. The initial plan was that the book would be audio-only. But as excitement about the project took off, I quickly discovered a few things: 1. a physical copy would make much more of an impact; 2. way more than ten authors wanted to help; and 3. I was in a bit over my head logistically. Thankfully, one of my author friends (and fellow VCFA almunx) Sean Petrie owns a small independent press, and he was eager to help. This book simply would not exist without Sean and the Burlwood Books team. I’ll forever be grateful.
JP: How did you decide to make it a collection of nonfiction craft essays? Why not poetry, short fiction, children’s stories or anything else?
NSC: I wanted a project that not only benefited Hurricane Helene victims, but also something that kept the tragedy in the national conversation long after the news cycle stopped covering it. A craft book was something that creatives could pick up anytime. Each time that they did, the collective experience of the hurricane would be brought to someone’s mind. There was also the practical factor: I was asking busy authors to donate a piece in a very quick time frame. Because most of them taught and/or write newsletters regularly, I hoped that they might have something on hand.
JP: I’ve had the pleasure of reading a lot of craft books. This one might be one of my favorites so far! It has so much soul. Did you know that when you first envisioned it?
NSC: Wow, that is high praise. Thank you! I didn’t know the contributors were going to offer up such amazing pieces in the crunched timeframe we had, but given how talented each of them is, it didn’t surprise me. It did fill me with a huge sense of community, support, and gratitude. Reading the essays was overwhelming at times. They are all so well crafted. So heartfelt. All of these contributors showed up when I asked them; that is what community members do for one another.
JP: Talk about the title, Spinning Toward the Sun. Where did it come from and what is the meaning behind it?
NSC: I usually struggle a bit with titles, but this one came to me immediately. If it’s okay, I’ll share my explanation from the Introduction, because I don’t think I can be more succinct than that:
One of my most prominent memories I have from childhood is spinning—Julie Andrews style—through a hayfield, sun bright and warm on my tipped-up face. Throughout my adult life, I’ve returned to this memory and the feelings it evokes time and again, partly because of the tangible joy it still triggers deep in my bones. But more and more, I find the image creeping in as a metaphor for not only my writing, but also the very act of existing as a human being in the world.
We’re all spinning, all the time.
Some days you wouldn’t trade that rush for anything. Some days you’ll find yourself disoriented. And some days the dizziness will feel so horrific you think you’ll do anything—even give up—to make it stop.
That’s where community comes in, offering validation, advice, and support as you regain a sense of equilibrium. These essays remind us all: Keep spinning. Keep writing and creating. Keep reaching out to friends to give and receive help.
Together, no matter how dark it seems, we’ll eventually find the sun.
JP: In the essay “An Antidote to Fear” that you authored, you wrote about community building, amongst other things. You say, “You can forge a community that will quite literally change the world.” This collection of essays seems to demonstrate that wide-arcing community, with writers from around the country contributing essays in an effort to help the Asheville area recover. In what other ways is the book helping to create community? And can you tell us how the community in Asheville is doing?
NSC: In many areas, particularly downtown, Asheville looks like its old self again, but the business owners I’ve chatted with said they’re still not seeing as much tourism as needed. So, I hope people return to vacation in Western North Carolina. There are still places where flood damage is evident and I think, really, it’s the psyche of the people here: it was a truly traumatic and devastating experience for so many of us. You can’t just forget or get over something like that, even when physical spaces are rebuilt.
In terms of community, I feel like the book made a little community of the local contributors, those of us who were able to do events together. That’s a really special thing—having people not only donate their work, but also more of their time to promote the book and celebrate it together. There’s a special magic when contributors read together, too. I think people really felt that during our readings, and it helped sell more books, which translated directly into donations.
JP: Many artists and non-artists are trying to find ways to respond to our current national and political reality. The essays don’t shy away from the topic of politics. Was that intentional?
NSC: It was intentional. Given the fascist regime currently controlling our government, politics have seeped into every aspect of American lives. As artists who want to enact positive change and give people hope, we don’t have the option to shy away from hard truths.
JP: There are numerous references throughout the essays to empathy. I certainly felt a lot of empathy toward the creative pursuits in reading the book – it made me feel better about myself as a writer and a creator, that my challenges and insecurities are normal and shared amongst all creatives.
The book is also an acknowledgment that empathy is necessary for our society. That the relationship between writer and reader creates an empathic bond. That empathy flows from the written word. Can you talk about the presence of empathy in writing, and why that is so important at this time in our life, and specifically for your goals with this book?
NSC: I’m so glad the book made you feel better! That’s exactly what I hope it does for anyone who reads it. Honestly, I believe empathy is the main point of writing. There are the bonds you mention, but there is also the empathy for self, too, which is why writing is so often therapeutic. When I think about what I wished I’d known in my beginning days as a writer, one of the biggest things is how difficult creative pursuits are for everyone. Worth it, completely, but really, really hard. No matter how experienced you become, no matter how many books you publish, knowing that struggle is just part of the process—and that everyone struggles—can be so liberating. When you learn to have empathy for yourself, both as a creative and a person, it is easier to have empathy for others, too, and for the earth. Our world is in desperate need of empathy. Look where hate and othering has led us. Albert Camus famously said, “The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself,” and I think the way writers do that is through establishing empathetic connections.
JP: I wish I could choose a favorite essay in the collection, but I can’t. They are all so rich – each one imparting its own bits of wisdom. Do you have a favorite?
NSC: You can’t ask me to choose one! People will just have to read the book and choose their own. [laughs]
JP: Is there anything else that you would like to share about this project, its creation or the community of Ashville?
NSC: The book has already raised several thousand dollars for the nonprofits Beloved Asheville and World Central Kitchen. That’s pretty much entirely through word of mouth, so if readers are able, please help us spread the word!
